Seven Cork athletes set to take part in the seventh European Para Youth Games

Paralympics Ireland are delighted to confirm the athletes who will represent Team Ireland at the seventh European Para Youth Games, which will be held from 21st to 28th of July at the Cebeci Sports Complex in Istanbul Turkey.

There will be seven Cork athletes taking part in the Games with Luke Brennan taking part in the Swimming event, Kevin O’Callaghan competing in the Table Tennis, while Conor Coughlan, Jack Quinn, Darragh O’Reagan, Rory Motherway and Oisin O’Connor taking part in the Wheelchair Basketball event.

The EPYG is Europe’s premier multi-sport event for young para-athletes aged 12 to 23. 

This year’s edition will be the largest in history, featuring a record nine sports and welcoming nearly 1,500 athletes, coaches, and officials from over 35 European nations.

Team Ireland will send a delegation of 18 athletes to compete in four of the core sports at EPYG: Para Athletics, Para Swimming, Para Table Tennis, and Wheelchair Basketball. 

The team includes three athletes in Para Athletics, two in Para Swimming, five in Para Table Tennis, and eight in Wheelchair Basketball.

Three athletes will represent Ireland in Para Athletics. Aryell Sheedy and Daire Macken, both from Castleknock, Dublin, have been selected alongside Damien Moyles from Ballinlabaun, County Mayo. All three will compete across a range of track and field events.

Para Swimming will see two athletes competing for Ireland. 

Luke Brennan from Mount Oval, Cork and Luke O’Donoghue from Tralee are both members of the Paralympics Ireland Aspire Programme, proudly sponsored by Deloitte. 

They recently completed their second immersive weekend with the programme and have already gained valuable international experience as part of the Irish Para Swimming team, most recently at IDM Berlin Open.

Five athletes have been selected to compete in Para Table Tennis. Aaron Mellows and Sean Geoghegan, both from Skerries Dublin, are joined by Jude Sheldon from Kilmore Armagh, Kevin O’Callaghan from Mallow and Sam Brennan from Drumcondra, Dublin.

Ireland’s Wheelchair Basketball team will consist of eight players from across the country. 

The squad includes Conor Coughlan, Darragh O’Regan, Jack Quinn, Rory Motherway, and Oisín O’Connor from Cork, along with Conor Dufficy (Westmeath), Oran Spain (Kildare), and Ethan Leonard (Galway).

Paralympics Ireland President Lisa Clancy wished all the athletes the best of luck in the various events and hope they all enjoy the experience.

“This is a historic day as we announce our first ever Paralympics Ireland team to compete in at the European Para Youth Games in July in Istanbul,” Lisa said.

“We wish every Irish Para athlete the very best of luck and will be supporting them all the way.

“The EPYG aims to be a platform for growth, education and development for young Para athletes and Paralympics Ireland are delighted to be supporting young Irish para-athletes on this journey,” Clancy added.

The European Para Youth Games (EPYG) are held every two years under the governance of the European Paralympic Committee. 

This edition will see nine sports contested: Para Athletics, Para Swimming, Para Table Tennis, Wheelchair Basketball, Boccia, Goalball, Para Archery, Para Judo, and Para Taekwondo. 

The inclusion of new sports like Para Archery and Para Taekwondo marks a significant expansion in the scale and ambition of the Games.

The Games not only provide an international platform for competition but also play a critical role in preparing young athletes for future success on the world stage.